How to sharpen skates at home. How to sharpen skates at home correctly and quickly

If you need to sharpen ice hockey skates, the groove size chart is the best guide for beginners to make a choice. However, if this process takes place at home, you need to know a little more about its specifics, since not correct sharpening can lead to overheating of the metal, which in turn will affect the imbalance of the blade.

Many professional hockey players know how to sharpen skates for their specific style of skating, because the type of sharpening is chosen according to this criterion. First of all, it is important to know the weight of a person, his position in the game - attacker or defender, how long he rides and how confident he is in his movements.

Skate blades should be sharpened if:

bought a new pair and there is no groove on the blades;
when turning, the blades move to the sides;
slippage is felt during acceleration.

Sharpening hockey skates is best when any discomfort occurs while skating. Experts advise not to grind off a large layer of steel, but to sharpen it regularly. After such a process, hockey players balance better on the ice and can control their actions during the game, the skates slide faster, do not go astray and do not go to the sides, you can quickly accelerate and make sharp rotations.

Types of sharpening hockey skates

For beginners, it is best to contact the master, who will be able to determine how deeply the steel has already been cut at the blades, what type of sharpening to choose and how to properly care for the uniform in the future. You can process hockey blades, as well as sharpen figure skates, in sports shops, ice complexes, or by individual specialists.

It should be noted right away that the new skates do not have threads on the blades - their profile is completely straight. Therefore, professional hockey players, after buying ice equipment, immediately sharpen the blades to suit their style of skating. Mostly skaters use standard view sharpening, hockey players are offered a little more options. In Russia, they mainly use only two types of sharpening hockey skates, but there are three of them in total.

Classical or groove sharpening is a more common method, it is used by everyone who skates on ice: figure skaters, skaters, hockey players. The standard type of sharpening is considered the most reliable and proven. Its essence is that a semicircular groove is made on the blade. The blade of the skate has two ribs on the sides and a groove inside. The presence of ribs at the blade gives grip on ice much stronger than a completely straight axis.

The depth of the groove that is suitable for sharpening skates for a particular hockey player is determined depending on his style of skating and playing. Usually, for sharpening ice hockey skates, players use a table with specific groove parameters.

Athlete weight in kg	Aggressive skating		amateur skating		Beginner skating
Athlete weight in kg	Attack	Defender	Attack	Defender	Attack	Defender
20-30	12-14	11-13	11-13	10-12	9-12	9-12
30-50	13-16	12-14	12-14	11-13	10-12	10-12
50-70	14-17	13-15	13-15	12-14	11-12	11-12
70-90	15-20	14-17	17-30	15-20	12-13	12-13
90-110	17-25	15-20	15-18	14-16	13-15	13-15
110 and above	20-30	18-25	16-20	15-18	14-16	14-16

If the groove radius is small, then the driving speed is increased, but maneuverability is reduced. Accordingly, if you choose a deep groove, then the controllability of the skate during turns and various tricks becomes better, but in the case of a straight ride on ice, the speed becomes lower.

Channel-Z, or groove-z - relatively the new kind sharpeners price Russia | It is used by many professionals, as a sharpened Channel-Z skate is more controllable and at the same time can glide very quickly. Its profile looks like a small groove in the blade with another internal groove.

In this case, the width of the inner recess in the groove can be different. If it is large, then the driving speed increases, if it is small, it becomes better management. This type sharpening is carried out only on professional equipment.

FTB (Flat Bottom V) is not carried out everywhere and only with an American or Canadian machine, since this type was developed in Western countries and is used by NHL teams. The profile of the blade with such sharpening looks like two pointed ribs and a groove with a small straight platform inside.

By sharpening blades like FTB, hockey players usually rely on high-speed driving in the game, but at the same time it is important for them high level ice adhesion. Experts believe that if hockey players often participate in games on artificial ice, then it is better for them to focus on high maneuverability, and not on speed.

Two ways to sharpen at home

The process of sharpening blades requires a lot of effort and knowledge. At the same time, without special tools is indispensable in such a case. As a rule, a professional skate grinder uses finishing and polishing stones, a diamond abrasive block, and a special automatic machine for this.

Sharpening skates at home can be done in two ways, but they also require special equipment:

Using a needle file is the easiest, but most time-consuming way to sharpen skates at home. Round file of a certain diameter in accordance with the table. 1 must be inserted into a block of wood with a U-groove. The skate is fixed in a vise, the prepared bar is installed on the front of the blade, and the necessary contours of the hole are determined. Thus, the skates are sharpened by pressing hard on the blades. After that, it is imperative to remove all burrs with a flat file or file with a fine notch.
With a grinding wheel - more fast way sharpening skates at home, but requires special equipment. The grinding wheel should be narrower than the groove radius by 0.5-1 mm. Grinding wheel it is necessary to install it on a drill, and fix the blade of the skate with clamps on a steel corner. After that, it is necessary to define the contours of the groove. Further sharpening occurs from the front of the blade.

In order for sharpened skates to last longer, it is enough to wipe the blades with a dry cloth after each use and, moving outside the ice cover, put on special rubber covers on them.

You can sharpen your skates in specialized skate repair and sharpening workshops, but if there are none nearby, do not despair. You can also sharpen blades at home using simple tools that you probably have in your garage. You should definitely know that sharpening can be done in two ways: with a groove and without a groove, as shown in the photo below:

A grooved skate blade allows for correct and high-quality skating due to a reduction in the area of contact between the blade and ice. Flat sharpening is suitable for beginner athletes.

Flat skate sharpening

This is the easiest way to sharpen skates at home. For correct processing blades you will need the following tools:

Vice (workbench)

Emery (large and small)

File or abrasive stone

Soft fabric

Fine-grained bar

Building corner 90%

Step-by-step instruction:

Attach the vise to a stable surface.

Wrap the top of the skate (boot) soft cloth which will protect against scratches and damage. Place the boot between the "cheeks" in the vise and tighten them. Be sure to make sure that the skate is tightly clamped, and when sharpening it will not move anywhere.

Make sure the emery or file is harder than the alloy of the blade.

Sharpen should be at a right angle relative to the sides, checking the degree of the angle using a building corner. Treat the resulting burrs with fine sandpaper or fine-grained bar. Wipe the sharpened blade with a soft cloth.

Place your skates on a flat surface, and if you've sharpened them properly, they'll stand upright.

Put on protective covers that will protect the blades and prolong the life of the skates.

Sharpening grooved blades at home

If you are the owner of skates, the blades of which have a groove, then the process of sharpening them at home will require more precise work and close attention from you. For this method, you will need the following tools:

Vise

Round file set

Fine-grained bar

Emery

Soft fabric

Wooden block 100x50x50 mm

Step-by-step instruction:

Prepare a block in which your round file will fit. In this case, the thickness of the file should be the same as the thickness of the blade. The depth of the recess in the bar should be about 1 cm, and the width should be such that the bar does not dangle, but sits almost tightly on the blade. This will allow you to sharpen the gutter and edges with high quality. The photo shows a sample bar.

Secure the first skate firmly in a vise. Make sure that it will not move during processing.

Ice skating is a popular and affordable sport that allows you to get great pleasure. As in any other sport, much in this case depends on the quality and condition of the equipment. The main "tool" of athletes who play hockey or figure skating is skates, which means that it is necessary to monitor their condition especially carefully.

However, this applies not only to professionals, but also to amateurs who visit the rink in their free time. Periodically, the sharpening of the blades of the skates must be checked and sharpened in a timely manner. We will analyze how you can sharpen skates with your own hands.

Preparing skates for sharpening

It should be noted right away that new skates are very often sold unsharpened. As a rule, these are professional skates, which the owner will sharpen according to his requirements. Professional sharpening of skates will cost about 300-500 rubles per pair and is done on special equipment in a short time.

But what if the skate blades require only a little refinement, there is no sharpener nearby, or you just want to save money? In these cases, you can sharpen your skates at home, and with the right approach, it's not at all difficult.

Depending on the operating conditions, the type of skates and the frequency of their use, skates are sharpened more or less often. The skates of professional athletes are sharpened before each training, for amateurs it is enough to sharpen once a year.

Do not forget that sometimes skates do not need thorough sharpening: for example, you can remove burrs from the blade with fine sandpaper without using files. But there are a number of “symptoms” that indicate that skates really need sharpening:

Skate slippage during acceleration. It can appear constantly, but it can happen only a couple of times a night.
Blades move to the side when turning.
No groove (usually found on new skates).

Many people think that skates are sharpened in the same way as a knife: it remains sharp cutting edge. In fact, the design of the skate blade is a little more complicated: it has a groove (or groove). A gutter is made so that the area of \u200b\u200bcontact with ice decreases. According to the laws of physics, at such points of lesser contact, the pressure on the surface increases, which means that the temperature increases at the point of contact between the blade and ice. As a result, a water film forms under the blade, which improves glide. This means that the skates should be sharpened even if the gutter structure is broken or the skates have been lying idle for a long time and the gutter is covered with rust.

To sharpen skates, you will need the following tools:

electric emery;
round file with a diameter of 10 millimeters;
fine-grained bar;
sandpaper.

Before sharpening, the skates must be washed and cleaned of dirt.

Types of sharpening skates

Skates are sharpened both with and without a groove on the blades. In the second case, you can do without an emery wheel and use a file, and you will have to make a lot of effort. With this method of sharpening, the sole of the blade is sharpened at an angle to its side walls. Usually this method is currently used only for figure skating: this method of sharpening allows you to perform some sports elements.

Basically, skates are sharpened under the groove. For this, an emery disc with an electric motor is used, and getting such equipment can be problematic. As a rule, such old cheap discs can be sold at various flea markets, often such a disc can be found in garage owners. In any case, for sharpening skates, you need not only an electric motor, but also a disk of a special shape: it must have sharp edges, with which the groove will be machined or deepened.

The optimal depth of the gutter is approximately 0.5-0.6 millimeters, while while deepening the gutter, the blade edges are sharpened at the same time. After the chute is ready, the blade is finished with a bar with outer side, if necessary, you can give the ribs a certain sharpening angle.

Although sharpening is usually not difficult, the task can be simplified even more. Nowadays, portable express sharpening machines can be easily purchased, which are no larger than a manual stapler. In professional sports, more expensive equipment is used, but such professional machines costing tens of thousands of rubles, although effective, are not useful for amateurs.

How to check skate sharpening

Usually everyone sharpens skates “for themselves”. Even hockey teams have a special skate technician who sharpens skates and does it for each athlete individually: it all depends on the style of the player, on his weight, on the function in the team, and even on what kind of injuries the athlete suffered.

When sharpening skates in everyday life, they usually do not use the old “grandfather” method, swiping a finger along the blade and assessing the sharpness of the blade, but it is simply impossible to check the degree of sharpening of skates, focusing on some complex parameters.

The first step after sharpening is to check the sharpness of the blade in different areas: you can run your fingernail along the blade or use thin plastic for this. If the blades with the same force in different areas leave scratches of the same depth, the skates are sharpened correctly.

Naturally, a visual inspection should also be carried out. A properly sharpened groove will look something like the picture above. In this case, the ribs should be the same, symmetrical, they should not have chips and crevices. Then you have to put on your skates and test them on the ice. Feet should not slip when pushing off. You can also put the skates on the ice and see if they roll to the side. Properly sharpened skates will stand straight.

If possible, you can show the sharpened skates to a specialist who will evaluate the correct sharpening. Usually even knife sharpeners can give their professional opinion. As a rule, they do not take money for such a minute inspection.

Do not underestimate the importance of correct and timely sharpening. Not only comfort during skating depends on this, but also safety on the rink. In addition, for professional athletes, the correct sharpening of skates is on the same level as the correct physical preparation, and only perfectly sharpened skates contribute to the achievement of the best sports results.

Sharpening skates requires not only the ability to sharpen, but also good knowledge about the skating process. Because skates are sharpened taking into account the specifics of skating. But there is too little information about this, and it is not so easy to find it.

It's great to be able to skate professionally. This skill is especially important for hockey players. Today we will talk about how to sharpen hockey skates, because it is a more complicated process compared to figure skates. But it is possible to single out common actions for sharpening both one and the other. Properly sharpened skates help players (skaters) make significant progress in their skating skills.

Figure skates

Advantages of well-sharpened skates:

balance and better blade control;
faster and better sliding;
better acceleration and faster spins;
confidence in your skating and enjoyment of the process.

Mistakes when sharpening skates:

Various external and inner side blades, which leads to a feeling of imbalance on the ice and loss of balance. Such sharpening is typical when working with artisanal methods.
Different inaccurate amounts of steel are removed from different sections of the blade. For example, a lot of steel is removed in the heel and toe area. This will result in an imbalance in the skate and a lack of blade support. In addition, with unskilled sharpening, overheating of the blade appears, which worsens the durability of the blade.
Wrong contour (profile) of the blade or radius of the notch (groove), which will degrade the quality of skating. After sharpening a blade with a larger or smaller contour radius (profile) or with a deeper or shallower groove, the skater will feel that the skates do not have sufficient control.

Sources of problems

Sharpening scheme

Often hockey players ride on blades that are heavily worn or banana-shaped, which slows down their speed. Blades that have not yet been used have their own skate contour radius, which depends on the model and size of the skate. And practice has shown that such a profile is not the best to achieve the desired speed. Another note is that the factory outline of the blade is made the same for everyone. Although the factory contour (profile) of the blade works well, it is much better to form optimal profile for each player, which will help in achieving the optimal advantage. At the beginning of teaching children to ride, the factory profile of the blade provides insufficient ice contact with the blade. And since the sense of balance and speed of the skater is constantly developing, it is quite difficult to learn how to skate well. It is not uncommon for a skater to put in the effort to stand steadily while skating, while skating skills could be developed. A well-chosen profile radius will help ensure more contact blades with ice, which will lead to a better learning process.

Important requirements for sharpening skates

AT recent times The sharpening of skates is moving towards European style, providing less friction and better skating.
To obtain a higher speed, it is recommended to use a combination of different profile and groove radii.
Under different styles skating should apply its specific sharpening. For example, the "butterfly" style needs a good grip on the surface to quickly move from side to side, change positions vertically. For this, sharpening with a double groove was introduced. Its meaning is that the skate is sharpened very sharply (this is a larger groove), for example, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe heel or toe, and not so sharp (this is a smaller groove) in the center, which provides a sliding movement.
However, you can not sharpen the toe of the skate very aggressively, so that this part of the skate does not become dangerous when moving backwards.

Blade contour (profile)

This part defines the space for ice contact of the blade. Sharpening a skate involves a balance between the force of friction and the gripping surface. In the process of movement, a person on skates tries to maximize and maintain gliding. Therefore, between the ice and the blade, the frictional force must be kept to a minimum due to the correct blade contour. Good gliding is also necessary in order to turn force into acceleration, movement and a quick stop.

Groove on a skate

The contour of the blade must be selected, taking into account the weight and advantages in skating. More your weight - more blade contour is required to make contact with the ice in order to evenly distribute your weight. But it is equally important that your body adjust to the new profile.

The larger blade contour radius (when more of the blade touches the ice) allows the rider to get better stability and balance, higher speed, and less friction. But on the other hand, the ability to make quick turns is noticeably reduced. And a smaller radius of the blade contour will give more friction, due to a decrease in the amount of contact between the ice and the blade. This increases the pressure on the blade and plunges it into the ice. In turn, the deformation of the ice leads to a greater frictional force. Therefore, skating with a shorter radius improves maneuverability during short and fast turns.

The blade has three parts:

Heel - takes up 20% of the blade. The heel performs the function of balance, rotation, movement, support, stops when turning and cross-skating.
Middle - occupies 60% of the blade. Used mainly when skating with pressure to advance or to move on the front foot. Helps rotations and turns, jerks, stops when moving.
The toe is 20% of the blade. It is used for jerks and accelerations, reverse skating and spins on the toe. There are systematic movements between different sectors of the blade.

Incline is the angle at which the blade rests on the ice. Tilt affects the balance of the rider's body. There are specific recommendations regarding the amount of inclination for skates. When the blade is tilted back, the ability to accelerate is lost, the correct balance of the body is disturbed. A very large slope is used for forwards relying on socks.

pivot point

There is a point of rotation in the center of the sliding surface, basically there are rotations and movements between skating back and forth. You should follow clear guidelines for the location of the pivot point on the blade. When skating or stance, the center of gravity is in the ideal position for skating at a certain distance from the middle of the blade.

Groove (notch)

A groove is a concave sharpening of the lower surface of the blade. Its function is to increase

Sharpening on the machine

slip. A small groove radius will result in better sliding, but also an increase in frictional force. Conversely, a large radius will give little slip but provide less friction. Less friction - proper sliding which is important for acceleration, stops and jerks.

The process of finishing skates

After sharpening, the blade needs to be sharpened to get the desired sharpness and the desired angle.

This is done in three ways:

The burrs on the blade are removed with a special diamond abrasive bar. This option leads to good quality final debugging.
Microparticles are removed from grinding with a special polishing stone.
Finishing the blade with a rough honing stone, placed at a certain angle to the edges of the blade. This gives the blade a fairly good grip and the necessary cutting edge.

Findings:

Proper blade and groove radii have a strong influence on speed, speed, and improvement in skating ability.
Blade profile and flute applied according to by and large to balance the force of sliding and friction, in order to adjust the skate to the preferences of the players in matters of skating.
The slope and profile of the blade determines the right balance when riding.
All types of skates need blade finishing.

Qualified skate sharpeners advise you to do less metal removal when sharpening, but sharpen more frequently. Blades should always be in top shape, no matter what sport you are doing.

To make skating easy and pleasant, you need to properly care for them and make sure that the blades are always sharply sharpened. Good glide depends on this. How to sharpen your skates and how often you need to do it, you will learn in this article.

You need to sharpen your skates to make skating easy.

How can you tell if your skates need sharpening?

The opinion that new, newly bought skates do not need to be sharpened is erroneous. Blades always need additional processing. Sharpening skates for professional sports is carried out on special equipment and takes very little time. Athletes sharpen their blades before each training session, while amateurs only need to do this once a season.

If you just need to remove small burrs from the blades, this can be done with fine sandpaper. But there are a few signs that the skates need a thorough treatment.

The blades do not have a groove.
When turning, they go to the side.
During acceleration, the skates slip.

How to sharpen figure skates? Definitely with a groove. The groove on the blades improves sliding and reduces the area of contact with ice, it becomes easier to perform figured elements. But for lovers, sharpening without a groove is also suitable.

How to sharpen skates at home?

You need to have the following tools:

Touchstone (fine-grained bar);
sandpaper;
File with a diameter of 1 cm round shape;
Grinding wheel.

If there is no groove on the blades, but one needs to be made, a grinding wheel must be used. To prevent the groove from going crooked, a flat surface is laid across the groove, perpendicular to the blade. To deepen an existing gutter, use a round file. Ultimately, the recess should have a radius of 11-15 mm. Burrs are removed with a fine-grained bar or sandpaper. The edges of each blade must be the same height.

How to sharpen skates without a groove? This is done with a bar and cleaned with sandpaper, movements must be made perpendicular to the blade.

To prevent the blades from dulling ahead of time, after each ride they need to be wiped dry and cleaned in cases. If you put wet skates in the cases, the blades can be affected by corrosion, i.e., they will rust. Covers are both hard and soft.

How often to sharpen skates? This should be done as soon as a person begins to experience any inconvenience when riding. The abrasion of the blades also depends on the material from which they are made, the weight of the skater, and the quality of the ice.

Sharpen your skates as needed, and skating will only be a pleasure.